5 lust-worthy beauty brands born in Toronto

Toronto born cosmetics, skin care and beauty brands are few and far between when walking the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart or Sephora. Why should the 100-mile diet end in your stomach? Take a trip off the beaten track and you'll find Toronto is brimming with locally produced brands that are as good for your skin as they are for your wallet. Cosmetics companies, big and small, have been popping up in Toronto, taking a direct approach to making our city just a little bit more beautiful. Not to say you can't look your best au natural (I sure as hell can't be bothered to make myself up on a daily basis), but why not indulge in something local when freshening up in the AM.

Here's a look at 5 Toronto beauty brands making their way into our makeup bags.

Bite Beauty (@bitebeauty)
"Edgy, edible, innovation for lips" is the mandate Susanne Lang, founder of Bite Beauty, lives by when crafting her wide range of completely organic and edible lip colors. Makes putting on lipstick in the morning a little less daunting when there's the possibility of it doubling as an afternoon snack, no? With a wide range of bold lipsticks ($24), luscious lacquers ($24) and even naturally-plumping cinnamon tinted lip oils ($22), Bite is just as chic as it is scrumptious. Available at Sephora .

LoveFresh (@LoveFresh)
Why lather yourself with chemicals to get clean and fresh when you can treat your body to a taste of what nature gave us. LoveFresh, the brainchild of Toronto native Stacey Davis, promises "a simple moment of luxury" with every application of her wide range of products. If you've stepped in a spa (Stillwater, The Ten Spot and Lux Spa to name a few) in Toronto in the past year or so, it's likely you've had the pleasure of trying some of Davis's products which range from body oils and lotions to liquid eyeliners and eau de parfums. A personal favorite is the LoveFresh Sugar Scrub ($30) which comes in a variety of scents and scrubbing of dead skin seem ultra-glam.

Rebels Refinery (@rebelsrefinery)
Who ever said skin care was just for the gals? It certainly wasn't Eric Fallon, founder of the brand new men's skin care line Rebels Refinery. Fallon, along with three good friends, decided to start the line when they took a look at the toll their lifestyle was having on their skin and realized it was time to put down the Irish Spring. Launching a simple skin care regime in January of this year (ranging from $13-$17 each or $57 for the full kit), Rebel Refinery seeks to ease the oft hesitant "manly man" into the wonderful world of clear, clean and smooth skin. Available at 889 Yoga and Wellness Spa and Jacob and Sebastian

Province Apothecary
I first discovered Province Apothecary while perusing the goodies at the Junction Flea one weekend, hosted at The Great Hall. Founder Julie Clark began her foray into natural skin care while studying Aromatherapy and Holistic Health in 2010. Certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner, Clark also offers skin consultations and custom organic aromatherapy facials. Find all of her products available on her website (ranging from $8 for lip balm to $80 for skin serums), or visit the studio in the heart of Little Portugal.

Crawford Street Skincare
Oftentimes the best things in life are born from unfortunate situations. Such is the case with Crawford Street Skin Care, the aptly titled line of organic and natural products from Gaelyne Leslie, who launched the line of skin care after experiencing a severe allergic reaction to store-bought cosmetics. Using fair trade or organic products when possible, Leslie aims to provide her customers with a healthy glow free of chemicals, artificial dyes and fragrances. Personally, I've been holding my Mint-Vanilla Lip Balm ($5) closely all winter to keep my lips pucker ready. Available at The Big Carrot or Ecotique.

Did we miss your favourite local beauty brand? Tell us about it in the comment thread below.

Discussion

15 Comments

Their web presence (http://www.thebeautyfactory.com/) is practically non-existent, but J.M. Fraser's shaving cream is by far the best I've ever used. Dirt cheap considering a tub of it lasts over a year and its applied with a brush.

There is another toronto based beauty company that is amazing! Ella's botanicals makes all natural beauty care products including a magic balm that I use for my son's eczema. Her website is http://www.ellasbotanicals.ca You guys should definitely check out her stuff it is awesome and I usually buy it at The Big Carrot.

Bite is AMAZING!!! I discovered it at sephora when I was in New York last year and I was so happy when I heard it is from Toronto! They have the best colours, better than any other natural product I know, and their lipsticks are super moisturizing and soft. And all their lipsticks are handmade! Definitely my new favourite product.

I am also a huge fan of Ella's Botanicals! I can't believe they were not mentioned! They are also made here in Toronto! I LOVE their Chai Latte soaps and the Lemon Meringue body lotion!! They both smell AMAZING and so very moisturizing. The best part is they are all natural with no harsh chemicals!

Province Apothecary is amazing! Julie is very knowledgable and passionate about her work! I'm in love with her skincare products! They smell amazing and helped to calm my adult-acne prone skin! She also does facials in her lovely studio (which always smells amazing lol). Province Apothecary is totally my new favourite go-to place for skincare!

The lip balm developed by Alexis Reid ND at Eco Chic Movement is awesome. I think she's just starting up and is working on some more new products to launch on her website(www.ecochicmovement.com), including a whole line of natural baby products. Some of my friends have used the bum butter and love it.

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Thanks for sharing some of the beauty industry insights about Toronto. I would like to add in our skincare company who was also born in Toronto and is 100% Canadian. We manufacture our paraben-free, fragrance free and not tested on animals cosmeceutical skincare here in Toronto. We currently have one boutique in Yorkville and one in Mississauga. Miracle 10 Skincare also sell online at http://www.miracle10.com

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I've recently discovered shaf skin care for women and men. Amazing products my wife and I just love. All natural and very effective. We especially love the scrub and moisturizer. Check them out www.schaf.ca

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